If You Aren’t Outraged

Tuesday

Apr 23, 2013 at 12:19 PMApr 23, 2013 at 11:14 PM

On March 22, 1765, King George III gave his royal assent to the stamp act, which was a tax on legal documents. Word of the new tax reached Boston on April 23, 1765. This morning at 8:59, April 23, 2013, the federal court sent out an email informing the bar that fees in the federal court were being raised $50 for “administration.” I’ve objected repeatedly about the federalization of our court system- in which people who were ordinarily able to seek legal remedies in the state courts are now being forced into federal court, even as the fees make it virtually impossible for them to seek redress of grievances. Revolutions have started over less.

This week, Republicans in the House and Senate will be getting notice that the latest insidious tax grab will be monitored on the scorecard for the 2014 election–the attempt to tax on-line sales. Americans have made it very clear that state sales tax is oppressive and unfair. They have voted with their wallets–stimulating the economy by purchasing elsewhere, and, incidentally, increasing their spending on goods which would ordinarily have been wasted on taxes. So what is the government solution? To try and eliminate tax free shopping rather than letting the market do its job. Shame on any Republican who votes for this savage new tax increase on the consumer.

What are they doing in Washington? Going down the list of grievances in the Declaration of Independence to see which atrocity hasn’t been committed against the people over the past eight days?

Rob Meltzer

On March 22, 1765, King George III gave his royal assent to the stamp act, which was a tax on legal documents. Word of the new tax reached Boston on April 23, 1765. This morning at 8:59, April 23, 2013, the federal court sent out an email informing the bar that fees in the federal court were being raised $50 for “administration.” I’ve objected repeatedly about the federalization of our court system- in which people who were ordinarily able to seek legal remedies in the state courts are now being forced into federal court, even as the fees make it virtually impossible for them to seek redress of grievances. Revolutions have started over less.

This week, Republicans in the House and Senate will be getting notice that the latest insidious tax grab will be monitored on the scorecard for the 2014 election–the attempt to tax on-line sales. Americans have made it very clear that state sales tax is oppressive and unfair. They have voted with their wallets–stimulating the economy by purchasing elsewhere, and, incidentally, increasing their spending on goods which would ordinarily have been wasted on taxes. So what is the government solution? To try and eliminate tax free shopping rather than letting the market do its job. Shame on any Republican who votes for this savage new tax increase on the consumer.

What are they doing in Washington? Going down the list of grievances in the Declaration of Independence to see which atrocity hasn’t been committed against the people over the past eight days?